


Duty and Feelings

by Selbel



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Also Niall's father is a rude king, M/M, Narry bromance, There is a little bit of violence, everyone loves swords, kinda one sided Ziall but not really, nothing more between them, with swords
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-01
Updated: 2014-05-01
Packaged: 2018-01-21 12:28:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1550462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selbel/pseuds/Selbel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall is not happy. Sure, he's a prince that could have anything in the world, but he hates how is his life is decided for him. He hates the fact that his father is controlling every aspect of his life, ranging from what he wears, how he acts, to who he is set to marry. </p>
<p>One morning he meet's a man who changes his entire perspective on life and gives him the strength and courage he needs in order to stand up to his father.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Duty and Feelings

From young, Niall was taught that the kingdom was the most important thing. As a prince it was his duty to uphold certain responsibilities for the greater good, as he was also meant to take certain actions that were best suited for the kingdom and the people. As far as this went, as a teenager who had just turned seventeen, it was now his duty to find a man of that his father suited of and marry him by eighteen. 

It was a lot of pressure for the young blonde, as the younger brother it normally would not have been his duty rule the kingdom, but as his older brother passed up the throne the duty fell upon him. His father dutifully reminded him that he needed to make sure whoever he chose was of noble blood and a strong headed person who could handle the pressure of court and be ready in case of any attacks upon the kingdom. 

Naturally, Niall despised his suitors. They were all strong headed, conceited, arrogant fools who showed off in front of him and bullied younger people in order to gain popularity amongst their peers. It seemed the young prince had very different taste in humor compared to his suitors. At every event, his suitors would marvel over him and say senseless jokes to him in order to get his attention, which would end in Niall laughing only to spare the other man's dignity. As uninterested as he was, he would not make another man feel bad. 

Two days passed after his seventeenth birthday and his stern father organised a date with none other than the most favored and wanted man in the kingdom, Zayn. 

Zayn Malik was a lovely man, with tanned complexion, black hair with prominent cheek bones and a magnificent jaw line that could cut through one of the many enemies that he had killed in order to protect the kingdom. His father, captain of the military protected the king and queen and had often been willing to die in the face of a threat to uphold his duty. Obviously, as the son of the captain, Zayn was the preferred choice of suitors, but the young prince didn't think so. In fact, he would have been happy not spending his night with someone who obviously loved themselves too much. 

“I can't go through with this”, Niall paced the front of the fireplace that took up nearly an entire wall in his bedroom, his hands were clasped together behind his back. This earned him a small chuckle from his bodyguard, Harry, who was the youngest elite guard to be given the duty of protecting a charge so high up in the monarchy. 

His wavey hair that was usually styled obscenely as if the guard couldn't care less about his hair, made him look older than his given age. At twenty three years old, the guard was well established within the kingdom and had made quite a name for himself after nearly giving his life for the Queen when he was only eighteen. It was this that made the captain deem him talented and responsible enough to guard the blonde prince. 

Like all the guards, Harry wore a white tunic, well fitted so that it didn't interfere in his daily activities, with brown leather pants and his combo boots. The green jacket that guards were meant to wear was thrown over his shoulder in carelessness, as he had often stated it restricted his movements and would prevent him from protecting Niall in case of a threat. This was what made Harry different from the normal guard. 

A normal guard would wear the whole uniform with a smug smile on their face as if to gloat about the fact that they were of importance, but the wavy haired lad tried desperately to blend in with the crowd and to not draw attention to himself. This was what made the young prince trust his guard, if only for the fact that he took no pleasure in being superior to everyone else. It was also this that made Niall form a friendship with the guard, trusting him with his thoughts and secrets. 

The guard raised his eyebrows in bemusement as he stared at the prince he considered as a younger brother. “What will your father say if he found out you disobeyed an order from him?”

“I do not think he would be pleased”, Niall replied, his voice soft as he stared at the hearth of the fireplace. “But should it really matter what he wants? What about me and my happiness?”

“Your happiness was no longer a priority the moment your brother decided to give up the throne”. There was a hint of anger in Harry's tone. 

Niall had never truly forgiven Greg for what he had done, giving up the throne for reasons that were not made known. Though Niall did not understand his brothers decision to abdicate the throne, he had supported it nonetheless, despite his brother single handedly giving him a life that he had never wanted. 

The young prince turned to face the guard, who stood at least a foot taller than him, “What am I going to do? I'm sure Zayn is a wonderful person, but I can't spend an evening with him. I don't think I will be able to reciprocate any feelings he may show to me”.

Harry sighed quietly whilst running a hand through his thick hair, a habit he had obtained due to stress. “I honestly don't think it will be all that bad, after all, I'm sure he makes for great company and plus, I'll be there. If he tried to kiss you I'll interfere.” 

The blonde scoffed, rolling his eyes as he dramatically fell onto the couch. “And what would the reason be for your interference?”

“That there is an emergency within the palace and that you are needed immediately.”

“Do I have to do this?”, Niall asked in a small, child like voice. 

“Unfortunately you do. May I suggest you get ready so you're not late? I don't think your father would be happy if he found out you were late.”

“Can't I just say I'm sick?” 

“If I were you I would just get it over and done with.”

The prince sighed unhappily before succumbing to his fate and getting up. It was going to be a very long night. 

/ 

As the prince made his way down the stair case with Harry cautiously behind him, he couldn't help but fiddle with his outfit as it was far from comfortable. As was expected for a formal date, he wore a black suit, opting for a tie instead of a bow only because he knew how much his father detested ties. The white, formal top he wore was well fitted but was covered by his black jacket, which had a blue handkerchief fashionably placed in the pocket. Niall assumed the handkerchief was to match what Zayn was wearing. 

He took one last look at Harry before proceeding into the dining room, where Zayn stood. He wasn't particularly tall, but he wasn't short either. At twenty years of age he was taller than Niall and still shorter than his guard. Though height did not mean anything as Zayn had a vast reputation within the kingdom, with females and males gawking all over him. His cheekbones were once the talk of the entire kingdom for a month and his heroic antics was constantly the talk of many people who wished to garner his attention.

Zayn's suit was much like his own, except it was dark, midnight blue and he opted to wear a bow tie instead, making him look exceptionally handsome. If Niall were interested in him, he had no doubts that he would be making himself look like a fool. 

Zayn bowed in respect before stalking over to the young prince, “You look dashing”.

Although it was said nicely, Niall caught the condescending tone in the young man's voice. The brief thought that he was doing something wrong was running through his mind until he realized- from the way the other man was standing- he didn't view their relationship as anything other than platonic. He had probably only agreed to this to appease his own fathers distress, and that was something the young prince could understand. 

“Thank you”, the prince replied kindly, smiling as he saw his guard smiling foolishly out of the corners of his blue eyes. 

“Would you like to eat now or perhaps go for a walk in the gardens?”.

Despite not having much of an appetite, Niall opted to eat first, as a walk with the young but established guard would make him greatly uncomfortable and as people often did, he tended to avoid situations that would make him uncomfortable. 

Dinner was silent and awkward, they sat across from each other and both were exceedingly uncomfortable. It didn't help that Harry was standing stiffly in the room, hand on his sword as if he was expecting trouble at any moment. Zayn ate quietly, not saying much and the young prince played with his food rather than eating it. The possibility that the two would get married was looming over their heads and it was taking a toll on the evening. 

“Seeing as we aren't enjoying this meal, perhaps we should go for a stroll?” 

“I'm a little tired to be honest”. Niall was sure the tanned man could see right through his lie, making him blush harder than he previously had. 

“Perhaps tomorrow we could go for a horse ride?”.

Unable to deny Zayn any longer, Niall nodded his head and smiled politely at him. “That sounds very nice.”

/ 

After getting back that night, Niall had his maid prepare a bath for him in his chambers, feeling too tense to do anything other than pace around his chambers, stopping occasionally to roll his shoulders. Harry had only sat on the couch, watching him patiently whilst flipping his pocket knife absentmindedly between his fingers. A habit Niall knew him to do when he was thinking about something of importance. 

“You are dismissed”, Niall said, rubbing a hand over his tired face. 

“Are you sure you don't want me to stay a little longer?”, the guard asked kindly, stepping forward to put a firm hand on Niall's shoulder. 

“No, I've kept you from your partner long enough. Hopefully tomorrow will go faster so we can get back to the palace and spend more time with company we actually appreciate”. 

Harry smiled at the mention of his partner, after being unable to see him all day. “I'll be back at dawn in preparation for your ride. For now, you should clean and rest, you look too weary for a seventeen year old and it doesn't suit you”

The young prince smiled politely at his guard as he walked out the oak door, leaving the maid in his place to assist him with undressing. Which Niall thought it was pathetic to have a maid in assist in undressing, but yet his father thought it was important that a prince do. That constant help was the first thing Niall was going to get rid of when he became king. As nice as it was to have the help, he couldn't help but feel like a selfish, typical prince. He would prefer to have all the maids prepare food so he could go around in the kingdom and distribute food to those in need. The kingdom was fairly equal to everyone and often had houses in which the homeless could go to in time of need. However, Niall still longed to help them even more, to offer his gratitude to the people for sticking by his family at all times. 

As he submerged his body in the warm, bubbly water, Niall let the tension flow out him as he closed his eyes and relaxed. 

/ 

There was a persistent knock on his door that woke him from his blissful sleep, where he was tangled up in his thick blankets. 

“Hello?”, his voice was croaky as he rubbed his eyes tiredly, still refusing to get up from his warm and comfy bed. 

“Niall, it's me”. Came Harry's raspy voice through his bedroom door. “You have to get up if you want to go for that ride”. 

“Harry, go away”. 

“That is not the appropriate manner in which a future king shall speak to a faithful guard”, Harry mocked him as he usually did to liven up the mood. 

“You can enter”, Niall declared with a sigh, noting that he was only in his briefs but not caring all too much. Harry was like an older brother to him, so he felt comfortable with him. 

The professional guard chuckled at the state which the prince was in, as it was made clear that he obviously didn't want to get up. 

“Can I cancel, Harry?”.

“Unfortunately not. C'mon get dressed and eat something”.

With the rising of the sun, the prince felt more awake than he previously did and was surprised at himself when he had managed to dress in record time. For his outing this morning he wore a loose white tunic and brown, cotton pants with his black riding boots. As the weather was rather cold in the mornings, he also wore a loose, brown jacket that he could dispose of the moment the day began to heat up. 

“You should eat as well”, Niall told his guard as he sat down on the cream colored couch in his chambers, already separating the food evenly so Harry could eat. Knowing his guard as well as he did, he often forgot to eat breakfast as he always rushed to be at Niall's side the instance he woke up.

“What would your father say if he were to catch you sharing your food with a slave?”, Harry asked, pretending to be outraged by Niall's offer, despite sitting next to the prince and picking up a piece of bacon. 

“I would think my father would be proud of his son being so selfless. He sure as well doesn't have a another son as selfless as me”. The young prince liked to joke around with his guard, though he knew his father despised addressing the 'help' – as he liked to call everyone – in such a way. The blonde wasn't concerned though, after all, he was a prince and soon to be king. 

The two ate in silence for ten minutes, with Niall often looking out at the window and wondering what the day will hold for him. He liked Zayn's company, he truly did, he just wished he would be able to have fun with Zayn as a friend without both of them knowing what expectations the entire kingdom had of them. When they were younger they used to spend time with each other, with the prince often travelling to the captain's estate to visit his son as Zayn was a wonderful and exceptional friend. Their friendship had diminished over time though, since Niall had turned sixteen and their fate together had been revealed. 

“We should go”, Niall suggested after they sat in silence, both immensely interested in their own thoughts. 

The prince and his faithful guard walked walked to the stables ready to meet Zayn, but as the raven haired man was nowhere to be seen yet, they walked towards the horses, who were trotting impatiently in the spot as their tails swished back and forth. When Niall spotted his brown stallion that he often rode when he was younger, he enthusiastically walked over to him and pet him, smiling happily as the animal seemed to enjoy it. 

“Long time no see, Oliver. I've missed you, boy”. His guard remained silent, only watching with observant eyes. “How have you been? I hope they're treating you okay”. 

“He's getting treated wonderfully, I'm sure”, came an unrecognisable voice, but yet sarcastic voice from the door. The prince couldn't help but jump back and yelp as the voice startled him. 

Covering his mouth in embarrassment, he regained his composure quickly and stood up straight, pretending to not have heard the snort from his guard, who had clearly known the man was here judging from the way he stood protectively with his hand on the hilt of his sword. 

“I'm sorry!”, the man exclaimed apologetically, bowing his head in respect and fear, like he thought Niall would reprimand him for something as juvenile and silly as this. 

“Please, no need to do that. Your presence was merely unexpected is all and you just gave me a bit of a fright”. 

Niall watched as the young man stood up straight and smiled kindly at Harry, who surely looked intimidating to anyone who didn't know him. One of the things that Niall respected his guard for was the ability to look intimidating and tough one moment, but look kind and friendly the next. 

The blonde noticed that the man's light brown hair was much too long, falling over his eyes and he often swept it to his side and put strands of his hair behind his ears. He had brown, honeycomb eyes that were enunciated by his thick eyebrows. The man wore a similar attire to what the prince wore, though his clothes were much dirtier and worn out. Whilst Niall's tunic was clean, the man's tunic was old, dirty and had small holes on the sleeves. 

“I apologize nonetheless. I actually came here because Zayn asked me to come and tell you that he is unable to make it”. 

The prince could fell his smile drop slightly, but he still tried to regain his composure. He thought that perhaps Zayn would have liked to spend time together, as friends, but he had thought wrong. It was silly of him to think that someone as irritating as Zayn would actually get up this hour of the morning just to go for a ride. 

Niall sighed loudly, looking back at his guard and raising his eyebrows in a 'I got out of bed for this'. Harry in return looked annoyed as well. Niall was willing to bet he had been spending the night with his boyfriend and would have liked to stay with him a little longer, rather than getting up early as an escort to the outing.

“Harry, since we're here, maybe you should get Louis and we can still go for a ride?”. The prince dutifully did what he deemed necessary, after all, he and Harry were dressed for riding, and the prince hadn't seen Louis in quite some time and he rather enjoyed his company. At Harry's look of astonishment he added, “I'll send for a maid to get him up, just give me a moment to find one and...”

“I can get him if you'd like”, the man added, smiling at the prince, whom was returning his smile most eagerly. 

“Only if it's okay by whoever you work for. I wouldn't want to get you into any trouble”. Niall bit his lip as he waited for a response, hoping this man wasn't already in trouble for whomever he worked for. After all, if the servants didn't 'oblige' their employers they were often unfairly punished, though Niall didn't see the Malik's punishing anyone who didn't deserve it. 

“I don't work for Zayn sire, I simply ran into your companion and he asked a favour of me. It's really no trouble for me to go and get the man you just spoke of, really, I would like to do something nice for the future king”. 

“Only if it's no trouble...”

“Liam”

“Well Liam, if it's no trouble, would you be able to?”

“Of course, sire”. 

Once Harry told the man where the Louis' chambers were, the prince sagged a little on his horse whilst petting the animals mane. His thoughts kept going back to Liam, whose tanned skin was a nice contrast to his own pale complextion and the jawline that could give Harry a run for his money. It was enough to make Niall weak in the knee's. 

“He's nice”, the prince mumbled as his horse gave a sound of pure indignation, annoyed, seemingly at the world. Niall could only nod his head in sympathy at his pet, it was quite hot already and the sun had barely come up. 

His guard raised his eyebrows, “You fancy him?” 

“I just think his physical appearance is.....nice”. Niall responded, averting his eyes as he blushed a deep crimson. “And he smells good, too”, the prince added as an after thought. 

“Smells good?”, Harry questioned, a smile on his face. “I think you fancy him. At least a little bit”. 

“Well, I couldn't possibly 'fancy' him, as you put it, because I haven't had a proper conversation with him. I've just a quick observation of him and he....smells good.” 

“Invite him to ride with us”. 

/ 

The four of them rode by the lake, the cool wind helping them to cope with the heat a little bit. After persuading Liam to come for a ride, the prince couldn't help but feel happy at meeting someone new who wasn't of noble blood, as it was exceedingly refreshing to talk to someone who wasn't so full of themselves and so conceited. Liam, from the neighbouring Kingdom, had decided to make a fresh start after his nineteenth birthday. 

Niall could only listen intently as Liam spoke, completely entranced by this man. The way his brown eyes glistened over their surroundings as he spoke about his journey to the Kingdom. 

Harry and Louis rode in front of them, as Harry's duty as guard was to make sure there was no danger ahead. Harry's partner was smaller, but yet just as intimidating – if not more so than Harry-, was speaking excitedly about something that happened in the guard headquarters. Apparently the guards who held rank had played a prank on one the younger guards whom had managed to personally offend Greg. As Greg was still of noble blood, anyone who dared to speak badly to him or his wife often got punished for it. 

“It seems you've lived a much more interesting life than I have”, Niall said softly as Liam stopped speaking. “Unfortunately I've never traveled beyond this kingdom, which is probably a good thing in terms of my status. But still, it would be lovely to see the forest of another kingdom and to see the markets that would probably differ a great deal than ours”. 

“Honestly, the markets are the least interesting thing. It's the scenery that is gorgeous. In my kingdom there was this beautiful river, as blue as the sky you see right now, and there was a bridge that led to the other side of the forest. The wildlife and greenery I saw was something I don't think I will ever see again”. 

The prince sighed with jealousy, his title weighing heavily on his shoulders and it felt as though it was slowing him down tremendously. If he wasn't born into the royal family he could have a lot of freedom, he could visit neighboring kingdom's and meet someone that made him happy. If only his dreams could become a reality.

“I wish I could see it”, the blonde admitted, sighing as he scratched his cheek. “In fact, I wish I could see something.....different” 

“Maybe one day you will, see something different that is. Never give up hope, young prince”

“I'm afraid that there is no hope to begin with”, Niall's tone was sullen. 

He looked to Liam, only to see the man open and close his mouth suddenly, his eyes focused on the trees further ahead. The prince noticed that Harry and Louis' attention was also focused there. His guards hand was on his sword and the other on his horses neck. The clenching of his jaw was evident as he looked ahead, his eyes taking in something that Niall couldn't even see. 

“Bandits”, he sneered through clenched teeth, “Niall, turn your horse around, very slowly”. He did as he was told, motioning for Liam to do the same. “If we act like we didn't see them they may go away, come one Lou, careful now”. 

It was a futile wish on his guards behalf, because within seconds of saying that the first arrow was shot at Niall. It was aimed at his shoulder, but he was both relieved and shocked when he found out he wasn't hurt; it was then that Niall realized he was on the ground, with Liam hovering over his body in a protective manner. His jaw set as he looked around grimly, before focusing his attention on the prince beneath him. 

“Are you hurt?”, Harry asked as he came running over, both he and Louis having drawn their swords. “Niall! Answer me!”.

“I'm fine, just a little shocked is all”. 

“We've got to go. Now!”. He said that just as two men came forward. One of them aiming an arrow straight at Liam's back and the other pointing his sword at Louis' chest. 

Louis for his part didn't even look scared. He looked absolutely enraged at the prospect of a fight, one that he would win for sure as he was one of the best swordsmen in the kingdom. “Put your sword down now”, Louis said evenly, not betraying any of his true feelings. 

As a guard who often helped the captain, Niall assumed he was used to threatening situations and had accounted much worse in his life. It still didn't make the situation any less frightening for the prince, but at least he could count that Louis and Harry would be safe, and would also protect Liam, though Niall had a sneeking suspicious that the man would be able to defend himself if need be. 

“Only when you give us what we want”, the man replied, his voice cracking as if he hadn't had a drink of water in days. 

“And what exactly is it you want?”, Louis snapped, moving the man's sword away with his own. “Actually, don't answer that because you will not be getting anything. I suggest you move on and don't bother anyone else”. 

“And why would I do that for?”, the man replied, smiling at his partner in crime, “I like to bother people”. 

“I'm sure you do”, Harry spoke, holding his sword even more, “Seeing as you're bothering us right now, but I really ought to tell you that it is in your best interest that you leave now. Any minute the patrol team will be here and they are starved for violence. Once they see you, who knows what they may do? Maybe even skin you alive because they simply can”. 

“Your threat means nothing to us”, the man spat, “Here's what we want- and you will listen to me otherwise I'll have my friend shoot blondie over there”. 

Niall could feel Liam tensing before getting up off the ground, helping the prince off the ground as he did so. “You'll do no such thing”, he said, standing in front of Niall. 

“We want two of your horses and your weapons”. The man requested, giving Niall a smile that made him shiver despite the heat. 

“You can take the horses, but you're in a dream world if you think we would really relinquish our weapons to you”. 

The bandit nodded his head, motioning for his partner to gather the two horses, watching Harry with a spiteful expression on his face. The blonde was glad to see Harry retuning the look, though it was much more menacing on his face. 

“And one more thing”, the man said as he settled upon the saddle. He nodded toward his partner who nodded his head in return before firing. This time, getting it's target. With that, the two bandits rode away as fast as they could, for they knew that there will be hell to pay for what they just did. 

The prince took a step back in shock, the arrow in his arm sticking out making him squirm. He didn't realize he was shaking until Liam gripped his good arm lightly and settled him to the ground. The two guards came rushing forward, both looking immensely angry and murderous, especially Harry, whom was no doubt blaming himself for the events that just transpired. 

“I'm going to have to take the arrow out”, he told the prince firmly, putting an affectionate hand on is neck to calm him down. “Only if you give me permission to”, he added, looking on with concerned. 

“If you must”, he replied, smiling at Harry's look of indignation. “Please do it quickly”. 

“Stay as still as you can”, Harry was serious as he said it. “On the count of three. One”, Niall took a breath, “Two”, Niall screamed as Harry ripped it out of his arm. 

For a moment, there was just white hot, searing pain as he was blinded. He gritted his teeth together as held his wounded arm in agony. When someone, presumably Harry, took away his hand and placed a tight band around his arm he couldn't help the sound of displeasure that escaped his lips. 

He remembered what his father had said, about the future king needing to regain composure even in the most trying times. He couldn't help but think about what his father would say if he saw him now. 

“Breathe”, Louis' voice commanded, fixing up the make shift bandage -probably made from Harry's tunic- to make sure it was secure enough to stop the blood flow. 

The prince was helped onto his guards horse, with Harry sitting behind him, putting his hand on his waist to keep him steady so he didn't fall off and injure himself even further. The morning which had been made good by Liam had gone downhill very quickly, which was a shame, because Niall was legitimately enjoying the man's company.

The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was Louis saying to Liam, “Good job out there”.

/ 

The young prince lay in bed, wearing only pants as the covers were placed on him in attempt to keep him comfortable. His guard, Louis and Liam were waiting in the chamber whilst the prince discussed matters with his father, who looked furious beyond reason. The royal physician had given him a drink that made some of the pain ease, making him content to sit in bed and listen as his father voiced his anger. 

“I will find them immediately and punish them for what they did!”, his father shouted, pacing with his hands by his side. “I shall have them killed for their audacity to harm you or threaten the guards”. 

“Father”, Niall voiced, “I don't think they knew who I was. I do think you need to punish them, just not as harshly as that. Have them removed from the kingdom as they are a threat to our people”. 

His father stared at him, seemingly perplexed, as if he was astonished at how reasonable his son sounded. “My son, when did you get so wise?”. 

His father left shortly after that, promising to find the men who attacked him, but Niall knew that it would be nearly impossible to find the bandits. The prince wasn't concerned for his own welfare, but the welfare of his people; how many times would a family decide to go for a ride in the woods and get harassed? It wasn't fair and when Niall was crowned king that would be one of the first things he changed. He would make sure there was a decrease in thievery.

A soft knock on his door alerted him to his guard's presence and he smiled kindly when the man walked in. He looked as cool and calm as ever, but Niall could see the anger in the man's eyes, as well as the concern once he laid eyes on his charge.

“Are you well?”, he asked with concern, sitting down beside Niall on his bed. 

“I'm much better than before. Tell me, is Liam still here?”.

The guard smirked, “Yes, should I bring him in?” 

“Only if you think it is wise”. 

He rested on the large amounts of pillows, closing his eyes briefly as he felt sudden fatigue from the blood lost. It wasn't enough to harm him, but it still made him a little light headed. He sighed loudly as the door opened and Liam came in his quarters, looking sheepish as he did so. 

“How are you?”, the prince asked, gesturing for him to sit on the arm chair that was currently near the window. 

“I'm good.....fine, really”, the man stammered and Niall suddenly felt nervous. “I mean, I should be asking you that.” 

“Liam, you saved my life out there and it weren't for you I am sure this wound on my arm would be the last thing to worry about”

“It was nothing, honestly”

“You saved me, the next heir to the throne. I think you should stop being so modest and realise that not only did you help save me, but you also helped this kingdom. For that, I must repay you somehow. Is there anything you need that I could help you with?” 

Liam shook his head, bemused as though Niall had just said something funny. “Niall, I only did what any good person would, but there may be one thing you can do for me”.

The prince raised his eyebrows and gestured for the man to continue. 

“If you would, perhaps you could accompany me to the markets in a week's time. Until then, I think you should rest”

The prince smiled brightly, a strange sort of flutter in his stomach. “I'll see you then”

The two said their goodbyes, both blushing but opting to ignore it. 

Niall made sure to tell Harry to organize somewhere nice for Liam to stay. After all, it wouldn't be good for a prince to treat a guest in an unkind manner. 

/ 

Two day's after the incident Zayn came to visit him, looking grave and apologetic as he entered his room, with Harry right behind him, as his guard had chosen to stay with him at all times of the day. 

Due to his overbearing fathers willingness, Niall was to stay in his chambers for a couple more days to “recuperate”, making the prince feel incredibly useless in his chambers. 

“How are you?”, Zayn asked, making himself comfortable in the armchair. 

Niall couldn't help but compare Zayn and Liam. Zayn was overly confident and just assumed he was welcome wherever, whereas Liam looked unsure of his place and had to be told to sit down. 

“I'll be fine in a few days. The wound will heal”. Niall responded, forcing a smile on his face. “The wound is superficial”. 

Zayn heaved a sigh, looking more mature than he ever had, “I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you”, he said at last. 

“I don't think there was a lot you could have done in the situation”, except make everything worse, he thought. Renowned for his impressive skills in combat, Zayn often fought unnecessarily to prove his talent, which in the situation two days prior, probably would have got everyone wounded or killed. No, Niall was glad Liam was there instead. 

Sweet, wonderful Liam who had put himself in danger to protect him and had stayed afterwards to make sure he was okay. The prince couldn't help the flutter of butterflies as he thought about Liam's muscular frame shielding his body from the bandits. The concentrated expression on the man's face as he stood in front of him, never looking away the bandit's harsh eyes. 

It was then that young man realized Zayn had been speaking and he had rudely ignored him in favor of thinking about another man. 

“Niall, are you alright?”, Zayn asked with concern, shifting in his seat as if he was uncomfortable. 

“Sorry, I'm just a bit tired”, Niall lied. 

“Perhaps I should go and let you rest some more” 

The prince simply smiled and watched as the man walked out of the door, giving a small nod to his guard as he did so. 

“What are you thinking about?”, Harry murmured quietly and the prince smiled at the fact that Harry could read him like a book.

“Liam”, he replied honestly, “and how brave he was”. 

Harry nodded his head, “I'm surprised at how well he handled the situation. Lou reckons he's had some form of training because a normal person would have lost their head”

“What else does Lou reckon?”, Niall teased. 

“That you guys would make a cute couple”. 

Niall didn't say anything, after all, he had been thinking the same thing. Despite not knowing Liam long, he couldn't deny the feelings he had for the man nor could he stop his thoughts from going back to Liam. The man had put himself in danger for him, that amount of courage that Liam had made Niall want to spend more time with him and get to know him even more. 

The morning was humid and sticky so the prince woke with sun after a restless and unfulfilled night's sleep. Despite the uncomfortable weather, it was his mind that made him have a restless night's sleep. He kept replaying that scene from his ride three days before, which then got him promptly thinking about the reason he had gone on the ride in the first place, which was to see to Zayn. This made him feel horribly guilty. 

As a prince next in line for the throne, he shouldn't be thinking about another man whilst he was being courted. His father had barely tolerated the fact that he was uninterested in women, but if he told him he was uninterested in Zayn, he wouldn't be happy at all and would have to order his son to be with Zayn.

Sighing loudly in defeat, he rubbed his eyes tiredly and closed them once more, hoping to ignore the day ahead of him. Of course, it didn't work too well when there was an abrupt knock on his door, making him groan internally. 

He numbly slipped out of bed and slipped into his silk robe as he was only in his bed wear. Reaching his chambers, he combed his hair with his fingers before opening the door to see a brown haired, blue eyed servant standing there, looking nervous and unsure of himself as he twiddled his thumbs. 

The boy, at least sixteen, bowed his head in respect before speaking. “Your father wishes to see you in the throne room as soon as possible”. 

“Will you be able to inform him that I will be there as soon as I change into appropriate attire?”. 

“Of course, sire”. 

/ 

In the king's throne room, there was one big table in the center of the room with a chair in the front of the room. There were currently no occupants in the room beside his father, who was sitting as straight as ruler whilst he stared apprehensively at the prince, who was slowly making his way to him. 

Niall didn't know the reason as to why his father wanted to talk with him this early in the morning, but he could only assume it would be an issue concerning the kingdom or.....his relationship -if you could even call it that- with his suitor. He smiled kindly before bending down on one knee in front of his father, as was accustomed for everyone to do out of respect. 

When the young prince looked up at his fathers stern gaze, he knew the king meant business; all hopes he had of avoiding a serious conversation had diminished as soon as he thought about them. His fathers appointed stare made him more nervous than he had been in a long time.

“Son”, his father began, “how are you today?” 

Niall managed a small smile despite his nerves, “I'm fine, much better than I have been in the past couple of days”

“That's good”, his father replied absentmindedly, as if he weren't paying attention to what his son was saying. When his father didn't say anything, the prince stood up and faced his father without any intent on being disrespectful. 

“Father, is something bothering you?”

“Nothing that you can help me with I'm afraid. The reason I brought you here is to ask you how things are going with Zayn”, his father inquired. 

“It's going well, father”, the prince lied, not daring to tell his father that he fancied another man especially when his father seemed distracted by something else and would react very poorly to the news. 

“My sources beg to differ”, the king responded sternly, with a hint of distaste in his tone. “May I remind you that I am king, and as you are one of my subjects you would do well to appease me. If you find that you cannot or will not appease me, then I will have no choice but to order you to do my will”

“Perhaps your sources are lying?”, the prince suggested, anger surging through his veins. 

His father raised his eyebrows angrily, “I think not!”, he exclaimed, “the fact that you have the audacity to even imply that suggest to me that you are still not old enough to make your own decisions. As someone coming into the throne once you are eighteen, I expect you to start acting mature enough to prove to me that you are capable of handling such a responsibility”.

Niall's face turned bright red in anger, but he bit his tongue to prevent himself from saying something he would regret. He really wanted to tell his father that he never wanted the throne, that he wanted to be with someone for the right reasons, not just because they were an asset to the kingdom; he wanted to marry for love not for power. His father, however, did not have the same mind set as him. The prince was vastly different from his father, or his mother or even his brother. 

He had always felt like the black sheep of the royal family. 

“Do you have nothing else to say?”, his father asked harshly. 

The prince closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath, “nothing you will like to hear, my king”. 

“Very well, you may go. Just know, that if I don't think your relationship with Zayn is progressing as quickly as I would like, I will have no choice but to intervene. Do you understand?” 

“Yes, my lord”.

“Leave”, his father dismissed with a wave of his hand, leaning back into his seat and watching his son leave with an apprehensive look on his face. 

The moment Niall left the room, he collapsed on the wall and closed his eyes as he tried to even his breathing. 

The conversation he and his father kept replaying over and over in his mind like a broken record, echoing in his brain and making his eyes squeeze shut in anger. He understood that as one the kings subjects he would have to appease his fathers every order, but he just hoped he didn't get ordered to marry Zayn. He couldn't be happy with the man and though no one else of royal blood cared about happiness, he did, and he would rather run away from the kingdom than be unhappily married for the rest of his life. 

Niall took a few more breaths, fully aware that there were servants walking about doing their daily activities, looking at him as they walked past with a mixture of concern and curiosity on their faces. He supposed it probably wasn't the best to be outside the throne room with his tousled appearance, so he prompted his legs to stop shaking as he was walked back to his chambers, shaking ever so slightly as he did. 

On the way there, he passed several maids, all of who smiled kindly at him. One maid, a plush woman who he had known nearly his whole life had stopped him to give him a brief hug. 

“You look too tense for someone so young”, she said, “I hope everything is okay”. And then she continued to walk on, leaving Niall to wonder if he really looked that bad.

He collapsed on his sofa as soon as he reached his chambers, opting to read a short novel that Harry had left there by mistake rather than doing anything really constructive. It was rather interesting and he found himself becoming absorbed in the fantastic literature and story line that made him briefly forget about his life for an hour or so....until a soft knock on his door snapped him out of his reverie and back to his real life. 

“Yes?”, the prince asked, snapping angrily. 

“....It's me”, a familiar voice said and Niall could have slapped himself for being so rude to his guard. When he didn't reply, Harry opened the door a fraction and poked his head in to see a very frustrated prince. “Oh no”, his guard said, “you look like your father just summoned you”. 

Niall opened his mouth to reply but closed it quickly. Really, he wasn't even that surprised that his guard knew about the argument. Harry, without a doubt, seem to know everything that went on within the palace. 

He watched as his guard sat down on the armchair, looking uneasy as his eyes raked over the prince's body. “When was the last time you changed your bandages?”

“Last night”, he answered quickly, not taking his eyes off the book despite not being able to read it with Harry questioning him. 

“Do you want to talk about what ever has made you upset?”

“Nope”

“Well, what do you want to do?”, Harry questioned. 

“.....See Liam”. 

The only response Niall got was a sigh before they were on their way to see Liam. 

/ 

Liam's house was rather luxurious. It was a two story house made out of bricks, so Niall knew it was at least stable. It was just outside the main city, so Liam could avoid the rowdy noise of people so early in the morning, but not too far as to isolate him from everyone. Looking at it, Niall felt a sense of pride in his guard for choosing a suitable place for Liam to stay. 

“I would assume this is satisfactory enough?”, Harry questioned with a raised eyebrow and Niall just smiled in response before knocking on the wooden door, alerting his friend to his presence. 

He only had to wait a moment before Liam opened the door, looking like he had been up for hours despite it still being early on in the day. Liam's brown eyes widened in surprise as he saw the prince outside his home and Niall could only watch as his friend's mouth twisted up into a smile and small laugh crinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes. 

“Niall!”, the man exclaimed, “I uh, wasn't expecting you”

The prince shrugged, “I should have sent someone to tell you, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you”

“You're not disturbing me, I was just shocked to open the door to find the prince here. That's all. Would you and Harry like to come in?”

“Sure”, Niall replied, pretending not to notice the faint blush on the man's cheeks. 

A little while later found Niall and Liam sitting across from each other at the kitchen table, talking animatedly about anything and everything they could think of while the young princes' guard was standing by the window, looking out to the city with his hand on sword. He looked tense, too tense, but Niall knew his guard was thinking of last time they ventured outside and the disaster that followed afterwards.

“So”, Liam spoke quietly, only for Niall's ears, “I don't want to seem abrupt, but you look like you've been run over by a horse....or two. Is everything okay?”

“It's been....stressful the past couple of days”, the prince replied honestly. 

“How so?” 

Niall remained silent for a moment, contemplating how to say his words so that they remained inoffensive to the king. “My father wishes me to uphold a certain duty...”

“And you don't wish to do it? Whatever it is”, Liam asked earnestly, leaning forward and frowning at the prince. 

“No”

“Then don't”. Liam stated, “if it does not make you happy, which it seems it is not, I suggest that you do what it is best for you and not for him”. 

“I wish it was only a matter of what I want and what my father wants, but it involves the entire kingdom”. The prince sighed sadly and looked away from Liam in order to preserve his dignity before he gave away how dreadful he actually felt. 

“Marriage?”, Liam guessed, looking immensely sympathetic. 

“Yes”, the prince whispered, an intense feeling of sadness stir within him. “My father thinks it's important that I marry Zayn even though I couldn't possibly imagine marrying him, even if it is good for the kingdom”. 

Liam bit his lip before speaking, “I personally don't think it matters who you marry, either way the kingdom will be fine. Forgive me if seem abrupt or rude, but I don't think your father understands the fact that the person you marry will not define the kingdom”. 

“I don't think that was rude at all.”, Niall murmured, “I wish my father would understand that it doesn't matter who I marry, but he is a stubborn man.” 

“I'm sure everything will work out”, Liam muttered quietly with sincerity in his tone that made the prince nearly start crying. 

“I don't think it will. My father is adamant that I marry Zayn.....I really don't want to marry him”. His voice started off loud but started getting quieter towards the end of the sentence, making his voice nearly inaudible. 

“Hey”, Liam said, moving around the table to kneel in front of the prince and putting a comforting hand on his knee, “it'll be okay”. 

That was when the young prince realized that he had been quietly crying, all of the stress's of the past few days and he had let his defenses down in the company of his friend. “It won't. Nothing will be okay”, Niall whimpered sorrowfully, now drawing the attention of his guard who made a move to comfort him but resumed his position against the window – probably against his better judgement – Niall guessed. 

“I'm sorry”, Niall said as he wiped his tears on the sleeves of his tunic, “this is inappropriate of me” 

“Hey, don't apologize. It's okay to be upset”.

And with one swift movement, Liam had Niall in his arms and held him whilst the prince had a very much needed cry. 

/ 

It was a surprise to Niall when his guard didn't say anything when they left, he only stared at him with an unreadable expression on his face and continued to lead the prince away from the hustle and bustle that was the city. People were milled everywhere, doing what they needed to do for the day. Mothers were walking with their arms full of embroidery sets, getting ready to teach their young daughters their lessons for the day, fathers walked with their young sons, teaching them all about the hazardous kingdom and what one must do to protect it at all cost. The Military were in training as well, about one hundred men were in a clearing just out the way of people, listening to their captain as he gave instructions on what they were to do for the day. All of this made the prince envious. He was confined to the palace whilst his people were walking about and living their lives. 

As he was walking back to the palace, he saw Zayn and Louis walking with determination, their eyes cold and harsh as they looked for any threats, making Niall think their must have been an enemy sighting. Normally, Zayn would be seen walking around cockily with nothing but humor on his face and Louis, well, he would be seen having a good laugh with his friends, but both of them seemed serious and determined.

When the Louis spotted the prince and his guard, he tapped Zayn's arm before walking over, his lips in a thin line. “Harry, the king has ordered that you take the prince back to his chambers as of right now and stay there until you get the okay that it's okay to leave”. 

“What has happened?”, the prince inquired. 

“We are not authorized to tell you”, Louis said with a hint of annoyance toward his king.

“If I feel as though you need to know, I won't hesitate to tell you”, Zayn assured, smiling kindly at the young prince and Niall was reminded of his friendship with Zayn and how great they used to get on. “but for now, you two need to get out of here. Will you be okay getting the prince back to his chambers?”, he directed at Harry and the man simply nodded before grabbing the prince's uninjured arm firmly and leading him back to his chambers. 

Both of them remained as ignorant as ever to the situation at hand, but the prince assumed it wasn't too bad, considering the rest of the palace hadn't been alerted to stay indoors. His father was probably overreacting as usual. 

Once they got back to Niall's chamber, the prince excused himself to go wash up and hopefully wash his face as his eyes were still red from crying. As embarrassing as it was, he was just glad Liam didn't judge him for it. Others would look at a crying man and would think them pathetic and/or weak, but not Liam. He simply comforted Niall the best he could and told him it was healthy to cry and let him know there was no shame in it. 

Liam was the type of man Niall wished to be. To be fair and have knowledge in weaponry, but not be consumed by the idea that a man should never hide his feelings. He treated everyone equally and spoke very highly of his mother and sisters, which was very rare amongst the men in the kingdom, as it was accustomed that the man was always the head of the family and were stronger than women, but where Liam came from, it seemed as though both genders were equals. 

Niall sighed, as he splashed cold water on his face. There were so many things he had to change in the kingdom. 

As he walked back out, he saw Harry at the door talking in a hushed voice to another guard. Niall simply sat down and watched apprehensively, trying to hear what they were saying but was greatly disappointed as Harry walked the guard outside and shortly followed, closing the door behind him as he did so.

The blonde couldn't help but get annoyed at everyone being mysterious around him, acting like he was a weakling who couldn't defend himself or wasn't worthy enough of hearing the news that had him confined to his quarters. He may not be the strongest man out there, but he was definitely stronger than everyone gave him credit for and it was truly annoying how everyone expected him to crumble and fall at the first hint of bad news. 

Honestly, how could people – or his father – think so little of him even though he was meant to take the throne when his time came? What good was he if everyone kept secrets of him? Would he be any good as a king if others around him were scared that he couldn't handle the pressure? 

Just as he was about to demand he be informed of what has happened, Harry came back in looking as if he had aged ten years in a matter of seconds. His face was grim as he sat in an armchair and gestured that the prince be at ease. 

“Harry, is everything okay?”, the prince asked kindly, kneeling down so he could stare up at his guard. 

“There's been a disturbance within the palace. It seems that the bandits we ran into the other day had come to the palace to cause a hassle”

“What did they do?”, the prince asked, panic deep within his stomach. “Is everyone okay?” 

“They had a run in with your mother whilst she was running a few errands”. At seeing Niall's horrified look, he added, “She is wounded but not gravely so, she will be fine. I have been informed that she is sleeping and will require as much rest as possible.”

“I wish to go see her”, Niall demanded, looking at his guard fearfully. 

“No one is allowed to see the queen until tomorrow. Doctor's orders” Harry added as an afterthought. 

“Well, what did they want?”.

“No one is sure, though your father believes they are not a threat to the kingdom or the people so only a handful of guards know what is going on. I can assure you they will be found and punished for hurting not only you, but now your mother.”

“Well, where are these men now?” 

“No one has seen them since they managed to escape their imprisonment”. Harry replied carefully, watching the prince with a guarded expression. 

The prince went as white as a ghost and he found himself sitting on the couch with his face in his hands, fear coursing through his veins as he thought about the amount of damage that these two men could be causing in the kingdom. “Harry I need you to tell me you are one hundred percent sure they are not a threat to everyone”, Niall nearly begged, fearing for everyone's safety. 

“The king thinks...”

“No, I do not care what the king thinks! I need to know what you think. Please, I need your opinion”. 

“Personally, I believe these men are not dangerous unless they become angry. The moment something or someone angers them, they may lash out. Which is why it is imperative that they be found as soon as possible.”

Niall hunched over - the resemblance of a self-imposed prince fading as quickly as it had come - and now he resembled that of a seventeen year old whose world had come crushing down on him. All the years of rules and obligations weighing down on him, with the past week looming over him like a dark cloud, getting ready to wreak havoc upon him. 

The prince was many things; he was strong, confident, and had strong opinions on matters that he cared about or that concerned him, but he was young, so frightfully young. He was a scared little boy hiding behind a facade where he pretended he was more confident than he let on and in the moment of time, it was painfully obvious how young he was. 

“I can't do this”, the prince said in between heavy breaths. 

Harry sat up straight, perplexed as he folded his hands and let his chin rest upon them. “Niall”, he replied sternly, “what can't you do”.

“I just”, the prince tried to reply but failed to do so as he was breathless, his hands were sweating profusely as there was a sharp, almost stabbing pain in his chest. Despite the pain in his chest, he took a deep breath, trying to get as much oxygen as he could into his body as he tried desperately to remain what little composure he had left. 

“I...can't....bre”

The cushion next to him flattened with extra weight and there was a soft hand on his arm, lending whatever comfort it could offer. “hey, I know it's hard to believe”, the comforting voice of Harry began, “but you'll be fine. You'll look back at all your misfortunes ten years from now and laugh at how much distress you are in.

“Just focus on taking deep breaths, come one. Breathe in through your nose and breathe out with your mouth, yes, like that, and again”. 

The prince complied with what his guard said, focusing only on his breathing and nothing else. It was hard though; with the pressure on his chest becoming nearly unbearable, but as Harry instructed him on breathing through this, he slowly made his way through the ordeal. 

Once his breathing had slowed down to that of a normal rate, he fell back on the cushions as exhaustion plagued him. He gratefully accepted the glass of water that Harry offered and he greedily drank it as though he ran a marathon. 

“I don't like seeing you like this”, Harry murmured affectionately, “You're like my younger brother and it pains me to see you like this”.

“Well, I don't particularly enjoy feeling like this. 

Harry, I need to get away from here, I can't sit by any more and let my father dictate my life the way he has been my entire life. I can't stand up to him anymore than I have and I can't let him control my life anymore”

“I need to get out of here for fear of my sanity”, the prince continued, his face tired and drawn. “I don't think I can be the king the kingdom needs nor can I do as my father pleases. I cannot marry Zayn because I do not have feelings for him and I cannot run this kingdom if me and my father continue to disagree on matters that seems juvenile to everyone else”. 

Harry took a long, deliberate minute to answer, “if there is any way I can help you, tell me now before it's too late for me to help”. 

Niall turned to face his guard, “Harry, I need to leave the kingdom. I don't think I can be here any more”. 

“...I'll gladly help you escape, but first we have to get the situation with the bandits under control and then I will need to organize somewhere for you to go. Don't act upon this rashly, Niall, this is a huge decision and you need to be one hundred percent sure”. 

Niall simply nodded before his guard resumed his place by the door and purposefully left the prince alone to think about his decision.  
/ 

His mother looked awfully pale and small as she was surrounded by thick comforters and fur throws to keep her warm as she battled with her wound. Her normal rosiness in her cheeks were long gone and her eyes no longer shone like stars. She looked fatigued and sick, but Niall reminded himself that at least his mother was alive. It could have been a lot worse. 

He didn't stay with his mother for too long as she was barely able to stay awake with the amount of pain medication that the royal doctor had given her, but he did sit by her bedside, holding her hand and brushing her blonde hair away from her forehead. It was when his brother came to visit he left, murmuring 'hello' before he quickly left with Harry trailing behind him. 

The young prince just wanted to get out of there, not wanting to see his brother who was selfish enough to put the stresses of the kingdom on him and plus, it was better he left sooner than run into his father, who was bound to give him a lecture or two about the importance of marrying Zayn. His family just never understood him and his morals, so he would rather run away and be an outcast than stay and never belong. 

To his surprise, Harry was silent all day as Niall tended to his duties: organizing a fundraiser in order to help those living on the streets, preparing celebrations for the soon to be graduated elite guards and also organizing living arrangements for visitors from other villages who had meetings with the king. There was so much political arrangements to organize, such as the safety of those visiting, the amount of guards in the kingdom, not to mention keeping enough guards on duty throughout the city just in case the bandits decided to attack whilst they were visiting. 

By the end of the day, Niall was mentally exhausted but he was unable to rest comfortably without having the strong desire to get up and pace about. As dinner time approached and Niall made his guard sit inside his chambers with him and eat -otherwise he would forget – his dinner, the two sat in comfortable silence. Harry looking pensive whilst the prince looked tired but still very alert. 

“Are you okay, Harry? You've barely said anything today”, Niall began, moving the food on his plate with his fork. 

“Me and Louis had an argument last night. It wasn't anything big but it was enough....”, Harry replied honestly, taking a bite of his bread. 

“And have you seen him since the argument?” 

“I haven't had much time to, when I get back tonight he goes on duty”. 

The prince frowned at the thought of keeping his guard – more importantly, his best friend – from him partner. “Harry, you can leave after you eat. I'm not going any where for tonight and I want you to spend time with Louis.”

“Are you sure?”, Harry inquired.

The prince smiled and gave his guard a look that said his decision was finale. As much as he enjoyed his guard's presence he would not keep him from his boyfriend. 

Two hours later, after Harry had left, Niall was preparing for bed so he could get up early in the morning and go for a horse ride before he had to meet with Liam at the markets, but to his pleasant surprise there was a persistent knocking on his balcony door. The prince jumped frightfully before taking a close look at the window and seeing a very welcome and familiar face, with the shoulder length hair tied back at the nape of his neck. 

“Liam”, Niall breathed out in relief whilst he set about unlocking the windows and smiling like a fool, “what are you doing here and how did you make it past all the guards?”

The older boy smiled before giving the prince a warm hug, which he melted into instantly, feeling safe and warm in Liam's embrace. “I simply decided to go for a wonderful stroll...on the roof is all and I wished to see you after yesterday. You were quite upset and I wanted to see if you were doing any better.” 

A faint blush worked it's way onto Niall's cheeks and he was soon smiling like a fool, “I am doing much better now”, was all he said before he led his companion outside his bedroom and to the lounge so they could sit and talk. 

Much to Niall's pleasure, Liam wasn't like every other person who met him, he spoke and treated him like he was a normal person and not a prince. The prince found himself becoming more and more comfortable with Liam as the minutes ticked by and he was soon discussing Greg and how he abdicated the throne because he didn't want the responsibility of the kingdom on his shoulders. Liam remained silent throughout, nodding his head occasionally as he tried to keep his features from letting on how he felt, but Niall could see the tension in his jaw when he told of him of how Greg went about abdicating the throne. 

Greg, after choosing to blatantly ignore Niall for two weeks before, had gone to his father and told him that the two had spoken and Niall wish to take the throne, leaving Greg to live as normal of a life as he could. The prince was furious after his father spoke to him about it, though he kept quite. He couldn't exactly tell his father that Greg lied about the conversation because that wouldn't have worked out for the both of them. 

“If you don't mind me saying, I think your brother was selfish for doing that. I don't suppose you would have had the proper training to be the successor to the throne. I admire you, Niall. You are much stronger and smarter than everyone would give you credit for and once you are a king, you will be able to do anything you want. You'll be able to rectify the mistakes that your father has made during his reign”. 

The blonde's stomach twisted nervously as he thought about the conversation he had with his guard the night before. The more he thought on Liam's words the more he felt guilty about asking Harry to help him escape from the kingdom, and all because he thought he couldn't handle it. He couldn't believe he was ready to leave the people for his own selfish reasons. Taking a deep breath, he thought about the consequences of what would happen if he left: how would his father take it? Would Greg be forced to take the throne? Or perhaps his father would ask Zayn or another member of the nobility to take the crown? 

He could imagine what the people would think once they found out that neither son wanted the throne. The women's faces of confusion and perhaps concern as the men and guards would look appalled at the news. The people would probably rally against the king and start a riot within the streets, making the kingdom fragile and weak which would give neighbouring kingdoms – the ones that no allies have been formed with - the means to attack and take over. Niall couldn't let that happen, as scared and frustrated as he was he would not let his people suffer due to his own anguish. 

With new found determination, the prince felt more confident than he had in his entire life and he knew it was time to take control of his own life and make his own decisions. If that meant going against the his father.....the king, the so be it. 

“Hey”, a soft voice said, getting his attention, “have I said something to offend you?”

Niall smiled, “Quite the opposite actually”. 

The princes' stomach fluttered as Liam pressed a light kiss to his forehead before wrapping his arms around him, in what seemed to be a protective manner. Niall could no longer deny the physical and emotional attraction to the man and as he laid down with a man who had his utmost respect, he could only imagine spending an entire lifetime with Liam and how happy they would be together. 

They soon fell asleep in each others arms shortly after, both to content to move. 

Niall woke with the sun, momentarily panicking as the arms around him frightened him before he realized that it was Liam, sweet, innocent, beautiful Liam sleeping peacefully on his couch. His mouth was slightly open and there was a small trail of drool on his chin, which made Niall chuckle to himself before leaning over and wiping the drool away with the end of his sleeve. 

To Liam's credit, the man didn't even stir once, which made Niall smile brightly before leaning back against the older man and relishing in the fact that he got to be with Liam in private for just a little bit longer. 

Liam woke up an hour after that, when the sun was brightly shining enough to illuminate his entire chambers. The man looked down at Niall with a smile before there was a knock on the princes' door, which caused both of them to jump in fright, with the prince suddenly realizing that would be his maid, which made him relax a little, but then he remembered Liam. Liam was not allowed to be here right now, if his father even heard so much as a whisper of the prince spending the night with a man, other than Zayn, he would be furious. 

“Hide in my room”, Niall whispered, hurriedly pushing a confused Liam into his room and closing the door behind him before allowing his maid to come in. 

The petite brunette lady smiled kindly at him in similar manner to that of a mother smiling at her child. “How are you this morning, sire?” 

“Very well”, Niall replied, trying to regain some of his dignity that he had lost moments ago in his own chamber. 

The maid smiled cheerily, straightening a few of the paintings on the walls, “It's odd seeing you so awake, normally either I or Harry have to wake you up. Did you sleep well enough?”, she added in motherly concern. 

“I did, Emma. I just wished to get up earlier to go for a ride before the day fully begins”. 

“You've always been into riding, right from a little boy. When you were younger you used to ride a lot more and us maids and servants used to say that God gave you a talent and it was good to see you enjoying something you're so good at.”, the maid wandered off in her own mind, reminiscing about the old days, before adding, “It's good to see you being passionate about riding again”. 

The prince blushed and felt a swell of pride in his stomach as he thought about the help talking positively about him as a young child. He wondered what everyone thought about him now, whether they thought he would make a good king or not, or whether they thought he was even strong enough to be king. 

“Would you like me to prepare your bath now, or perhaps later after you come back from your ride?”, his maid asked him politely. 

“After would be better”, the prince replied, giving a nervous glance at his bedroom door as inconspicuously as he could without arising any suspicion. 

His maid left his chambers ten minutes later, with the promise that she would send food before he went out for a ride, but Niall couldn't care less about food when he had an incredibly handsome man in his bedroom. 

The blonde knew Harry would be starting his job soon which left little time to hide Liam...as in getting rid of him and pretending that he hadn't slept in the handsome man's -whom he didn't fancy, not at all- arms. 

“Seems like everyone in the palace likes you”, was the first thing Liam said as he opened the door. 

“Everyone does”, came a cold and harsh voice that did not belong to Niall. 

Every ounce of happiness that the prince felt, every single fibre of happiness was replaced with fear as his blood turned cold. His mouth went from a smile to that of a single tight line and his face was now ghostly pale. Liam, as confident as he was, also looked afraid though he tried to hide it for the princes' sake. 

Niall turned around, perspiration noticeable on his forehead as he faced his father. His father, the man who had controlled every aspect of his life, had told him who he was to marry and had made it clear that he was in no way allowed to court anyone other than Zayn. His father's blue eyes, so similar to Niall's in color, was looking at him with a mixture of disgust and anger as the vein on his forehead was pulsing erratically, letting Niall know just how repulsed and angry he was. As his fathers eyes averted from his future heir to Liam, his face turned red and if Niall didn't know any better, he would think his father would kill the man he fancied.

“What is the meaning of this?”, his father asked, controlling himself as much as possible. The last time his father had controlled himself in front of a “stranger” the consequences had been bad for Niall when there had been no one else around to witness father disciplining his son. 

Niall took a deep breath before speaking, hoping that Liam would stay quiet as to not make matters any worse than it was. “Father, Liam just came to see me and I asked him if he wished to ride with me”. He sincerely hoped his father couldn't tell he was lying. 

The king raised a questionable eyebrow, “then why is he in your bedroom?”

“I....um...he”, Niall stammered, trying to think of something that he could come up with quickly so Liam didn't get into trouble. 

“Tell me son, how stupid do you think I am? Did you honestly think I would not find out about an estranged man sneaking up into your room in the middle of the night only to get up to God knows what? How do you expect Zayn to want you now? How do you expect me to allow you to become king when your actions are that of a whore!?”

The prince took a step back as if he had been pushed, his chest constricted tightly as he struggled to breathe. He couldn't comprehend that his father had just called him a whore when he didn't even have all the facts of what had happened between the two men last night. Did his father honestly think so low of him that he thought Niall would just jump in bed with any man? He couldn't believe his father's audacity to imply that he had slept with Liam. As attractive as Liam was and as much as the strong and intimate feelings he had for the man, the prince would never sleep with someone until after marriage. His father should have known that instead of just accusing him of being a whore!

“Are you so ashamed of your actions that you can't even defend yourself?”, the king asked nastily, with a hint of authority, making it clear to Niall that he was no longer speaking as a father but as a king. 

“Father...”, Niall began, trying to make his father listen to him before he acted irrationally and made a decision that was based on lies, that, he himself made. “It's not what you think”. 

“Not what I think!”, his father shouted in response, moving closer to the pair. 

Liam, for his part, was totally calm and collective, and had even placed a comforting hand on Niall's shoulder. It didn't do much to soothe Niall, but he was still thankful he had the support of someone he considered to be very important to him. 

“How dare you insinuate that I am wrong?”, the king asked, looking at his son with nothing but a patronizing expression on his face. “I am your king”, he said both to Liam and Niall, his stare lingering on Liam with disgust written all over his features, “You have no right to talk back to me in the manner that you did, you will have to be punished immediately for that and for you”, he pointedly stared at Liam, “you will go to the dungeons until I figure out an appropriate punishment for you”. 

Niall moved forward to try and protest against the king, wanting with all his might for Liam to not get into trouble for this. It was his fault, not Liam's, he was to be punished. 

“Father please...”

“GUARDS”, came the shout of the king, allowing his personal guards to come in Niall's chambers, “Take this man down to the dungeons immediately”. 

The prince and Liam caught each others eyes before he was literally dragged out of the room. Liam looked at him in sympathy, as if he was worried about the prince more so than himself, which wouldn't be the first time for the man. He always seemed to care about others more than himself. 

The king broke the silence first, the tension becoming almost unbearable. “I am ashamed to call you my successor and ashamed to call you my son. You have offended me, the palace and the people of the kingdom.”

“Father”, Niall tried but was stopped by his father's yell. 

“Enough. Don't talk back to me when I am reprimanding you for acting like an insensitive whore. What will Zayn think of you when he finds out about your indiscretion with another man? What will I tell his father when he asks what you have done wrong?” 

The scared blonde didn't answer, biting his tongue to prevent himself from talking back to his king in a way that would make the situation worse for himself and Liam. At the king's request he looked up to meet his father's cold and harsh stare, his blue eyes were as cold as ice as he seemed to be peering into Niall's thoughts. 

Niall heard his king sigh before a hand came up to hit him roughly on the face, causing his face to turn with the impact. He honestly knew this was coming, he had been predicting this since his father first made his presence known. Niall had been hit by the king before – though the king rarely did hit his sons – but never as hard as this. 

His father stared at him, looking almost sympathetic at the actions he caused as Niall's hand instinctively went to rub his right cheek, wincing in pain as it stung. The prince didn't dare look his father in the eyes, not having enough strength to with-hold what he truly wanted to say to him, which would only cause more conflict between the two of them. 

This day was shaping up to be a horrible one, despite it being only early. 

Once his father sighed loudly and left his chambers was when Niall finally let his tears fall. Knowing the amount of trouble he had caused him and Liam hit him like a ton of bricks and he shook exceedingly hard as his breathing became loud and uneven. Liam would get into a lot of trouble for sneaking into his chambers, and though Niall knew he didn't force Liam to sneak in, he didn't ask him to leave. Instead, he led him in and talked to him for hours, even sleeping with him.

On some level, Niall knew this was all his fault; he should have made his crush go back to his house, he should have used his head instead of his heart. The prince should have thought like a future king and not a giddy teenage boy, he was irresponsible and now the only person he ever romantically liked was going to be punished. 

“Niall”, a comforting voice snapped him out of miserable reverie, “I've heard what's happened, are you okay?” 

The prince blinked blearily, his eyes out of focus and glazed over as he tried incredibly hard to focus on his guard, who was staring at him with his worried eyes. The blonde collapsed in shock and fear in his guards arms, who kept him steady as he continued to stare at him with a vulnerable expression, similar to the way an older brother would stare at his younger brother. 

“You need to sit down”, Harry murmured quietly, leading his younger charge to the sofa, where he shakily collapsed upon almost immediately. 

“Niall, are you with me?”, Harry asked carefully, kneeling down in front of Niall to stare at him in the eyes. At Niall's nod, he continued, “You need to think of something that can prevent your father from acting rashly against the man”. 

“...Liam”, Niall corrected, staring at the floor as if it interested him. “His name is Liam and you should know that”. His voice was quite and full of shame. 

“Okay, we need to stop your father from acting out against Liam”, Harry rectified, running a nervous hand through his hair. “I'll get Louis here and together we can think of something”, his guard took a deep, steadying breath, “does that sound okay?”. 

The prince nodded his head once, letting out a small “okay” as he nervously bit his bottom lip. It didn't take a scientist to figure out that Niall was working himself up to the point of an obsence panic – similar to the other night – but this time was much worse, as a man's life could potentially be ruined for just one silly mistake. 

So caught up in his reverie, Niall didn't realize that Harry left and nor did he realize that he came back with not only Louis in tow, but Zayn, who looked more serious than he ever looked in his entire life. His expression was somber as he eyed the prince with something close to pity in his caramel colored eyes. 

“We've heard what happened”, Louis said without greeting him properly as he sat down on the chair. “It's the only thing everyone could talk about this morning....”

“Great”, Niall whined. He could only imagine what the people were saying behind his back, probably calling him things worse than what his father called him. 

There was a brief silence before Zayn spoke up, “No one said anything offensive if that's what you're worried about. From speaking to everyone it seems that people are happy that you're disobeying your father”

Niall frowned, “Why would people be happy about such a thing?” 

It was Harry who spoke this time, “The people of the kingdom, guards included, think it's time for a new leader. Someone who isn't thwarted with power....”

The prince sighed heavily, “What am I to do? How do I go about demonstrating that I am ready to take the throne without a man, whilst trying to get Liam out of the dungeons?”

“You do it with our help”, Louis responded without even batting an eye, “If your father sees the amount of support you have he will have to relent the throne and renounce you as king, or else the people may start protesting”. 

Niall looked up with fear at Louis, his blue eyes widened as he thought about one of the neighboring kingdom's a few years ago. The people were unhappy with the conduct of the king and had started a revolution on the royal family, ending with not only members of the royal family dead, but also innocent citizens.

If the prince could prevent that from happening to his people then he would gladly take the throne, even as young as he was. 

“I need to negotiate with him”, Niall began slowly, leaning forward and placing his chin on his folded hands, “I need to let him know that I'm not against him but I will do whatever it takes to make sure this kingdom and the people in this kingdom remain safe”. 

“Spoken like a true king”, Zayn mused thoughtfully, a spark in his brown eyes indicating that he was getting a kick out of this situation. 

It didn't bother or annoy Niall like it would have a week ago. Seeing Zayn get a thrill out of this and seeing the very serious but excited expression on his guard and partner had on their faces, he knew he was doing the right thing for himself, Liam and the rest of the kingdom. 

/ 

Niall walked with a purpose to the king's chambers, his footsteps echoing within the immaculate, white walls as he allowed a smirk to spread across his plush lips. He smiled furthermore as he imagined what he would say to his father; oh, he would love to see that self satisfied smile that belonged to his father disappear. 

As the king's heir to the throne, Niall had a right to challenge his father if he wished, making it clear that he would be willing to rule without having to get married. 

Finally reaching the large and heavy doors, Niall took a steadying breath before pushing open the doors with all of his strength, mainly to make himself feel and look all the more powerful. As soon as he looked up from where he stood, he came face to face with not only his father but the whole council, who were staring incredulously at him as if they didn't believe he had the audacity to interrupt a meeting. 

“Son”, his father sat up from his chair at the head of the long table, looking furious once again at his son, “what do you think you're doing?”

“I'm here to discuss the future of the kingdom”, Niall responded, looking calmer than he felt. “And I'm here to discuss my situation with you”.

“You're interrupting a meeting!”, his father retorted, going bright red in the face, “You need to leave”

The young prince smiled confidently, “Maybe everyone else should leave so I can talk to you. What I have to say is important and it cannot wait any longer, as I fear for the people and myself”

Having enough of his son's lack of respect he called the guards to take him away but was stopped half way through by the next words spoken out of his son's mouth. “If you dismiss me as you have been doing for years, it will be another reason for me to take the throne from you”.

Niall said it with as much conviction as he could, his thoughts going to all the times his father had dismissed him with a wave of his hand or the time his father had called him a disappointment after he declared that he was attracted to men rather than women. He remembered the way his father looked at him in disgust when he found Liam in his chambers, the way the word “whore” rolled easily off of his tongue as he directed his anger out towards his son. He thought back to all those years that he had felt like the black sheep of the royal family, only smiling a genuine smile when Harry had been announced as his guard.

Harry had been the only one to make him feel more like a teenage boy rather than a prince, telling him to always follow his beliefs and morals, encouraging him to do what was right. Harry had introduced him to Louis, his friend, making him have relationships that made him feel less like a robotic creature and more of a human being. 

Then he met Liam. Who knew that someone could find love within a week? The intense feelings he had for the man was probably unhealthy and Liam was the main reason for him questioning his father's authority in front of him. In the week he knew Liam, it was clear that the man would risk his everything for the prince, just as the prince would do for him; Liam had been his savior, his rock and his escape from the pressures of being a prince. Everything he was doing now, was for the man who had stolen his heart from him, and in return given him his own heart. This was for a passionate relationship that has the potential to turn into a epic romance. 

“What are you talking about?”, his father asked slowly, dismissing the council with a wave of his hand. The only person who remained was the captain, his eyes so much like Zayn's it made it almost impossible to say what he needed to say. 

“There are people within the palace who disagree with the way you are governing the kingdom, and I must say, I agree with them. We think it's time that you give up the throne to me and let me make decisions for the kingdom”. 

“And who are these people?”, his father asked skeptically, raising his eyebrow. 

Niall swallowed his saliva before continuing to speak, “I will not say that, but I can tell you that there are others who fear that your extended reign has started to medle with your mind. It's time you let relent the throne to me”. The prince sat down on the chair closest to his father to make the conversation seem less demanding. 

“I will only relent the throne to you when you are married with a preferable suitor....”

Niall began shaking his head the moment the king mentioned a suitor. “No suitor. The only suitor you will have me marry is Zayn, and though the man means a lot to me he is only a friend and can only be seen as that. Would you really have me rule the kingdom with a marriage that would do more harm than good?”

“Then I refuse to abdicate the throne”, his father replied, looking at his son with the same look he had in the morning: disgust and embarrassment.

“Father”, Niall began slowly, an uneasy feeling developing within his stomach, “If you don't relent the throne to me I will respect that. I will also marry Zayn if that is your will, but don't think the moment I become king I will not treat you the way you have treated me for all these years. I will make sure the entire kingdom knows how you treat your own son, and I am sure no one would respect you. You may be forced to leave the kingdom with mother, and you may not care about yourself anymore but I know you care about mother. If you really cared about the kingdom and the people, you will let me take the throne without a suitor.”

Niall took a deep breath before continuing, “I will let you ponder this with the captain, but there is also another issue that I must address with you. Liam.”

“The filthy whore in my dungeons?”, his father spat out with venom in his voice, making Niall cringe. 

“His name is Liam and he is not a whore, and if you want me in your good graces, I suggest you let him out of the dungeons and let me and him continue our relationship. If any harm comes to the man with whom I share my heart, I will never forgive you”. 

With that he walked out of the room, feeling more confident than he had in his entire life; he had a fleeting thought that he may have been too harsh and rude to his father, but he pushed those thoughts aside for now. When things smoothed over in the future he would apologize, after all it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission. 

Zayn was waiting for him in his chambers, which was quite a surprise to the prince as he had expected his guard. The raven haired man was sitting down on the couch, reading one of the novels that Harry left behind, before he looked up at Niall and pleasantly smiled at him. 

“How did everything go?”, he asked politely, gently placing the book down on the table to make sure the prince had his full attention. 

“It went as well as could be expected. The council was there at first as well as your father, but they were quickly dismissed.” Niall breathed out, “Your father stayed though”, he added as an after thought. 

“Did he look surprised at all?”, Zayn asked as if he knew something the prince didn't, which the blonde wouldn't have doubted at all. 

“...no. Why did you ask that for?” 

“Well Louis and I went to him last night and told him about the plan. See, I...well we have been thinking that the kingdom needs a new king for a bit so Louis and I decided to discuss it with someone high up, someone the king views as a friend.” Zayn said it so matter-of-factly that the prince just found himself nodding, before seating himself in his favorite armchair. “Hopefully your father can help my father with his decision”, he paused briefly, letting out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. “Where is Harry?”, inquired the prince as an afterthought. 

“He got news of the bandits, so he and Louis went to deal with them as soon as possible before the king finds out and delays your request furthermore”. 

Niall frowned slightly, but didn't say what he was really thinking as it was unnecessary to say. He simply thought it was weird that Harry chose to go with Louis instead of Zayn going, but alas, he trusted the man and knew it must have been for a good reason. 

The two didn't converse much after that - the prince too preoccupied with the thoughts running through his mind to even contemplate conversation – so Zayn went back to reading his novel and the blonde started reading his own novel from his shelf. It was an interesting novel to say the least. Normally he would submerge himself within history of the kingom or neighbouring kingdoms, so it was a nice and pleasant change to read a book simply based on fiction. 

In the silence,, Niall had the time to reflect back on all that had happened and he soon found himself struggling not to cry. His cheek hurt him from where his father had struck him earlier on and most of all, his heart hurt him for getting Liam in trouble. The prince also couldn't help but wonder what his father was doing right now. Was he discussing the situation with the council or was he adamant that he wanted his future heir to marry Zayn? 

The fact that he did not know caused him to become distressed and agitated but still, he kept his composure. He could not afford to look weak when only an hour or so ago he questioned his father's authority in front of the council and the captain. 

He was brought out of his daydream from a hesitant and uncertain knock on his door and he swore his heart fell into his stomach from anxiety and fear. “Come in”, he said before the door opened slowly and Liam came into his chambers, looking sheepished and bruised but thankfully okay. “Thank God”, he sighed with relief as he rushed to the man. 

“Hey”, the man whispered quietly, leaning into the warm hand that Niall placed on his cheek. 

Trying to force a smile on his face Niall took a long, hard look at Liam; he looked unusually pale, with a bruise from his right temple to his cheek, with a small cut on his other cheek. “You look like hell”, he murmured with worry, leading him over to the couch where he was sitting only moments ago. 

Liam only groaned in response, but he smiled a little when he saw the worried stare on Niall's face. “I'll be fine”, he assured the prince, resting his head on a pillow.

“You better be”, the prince replied with worry, fussing over the man who had stolen his heart, “you just rest for now, okay, and I'll call for the physician”.

“Don't worry about it”, Liam spoke softly, his eyes closing slowly and he had a look on his face that told Niall it was hard for him to keep consciousness any longer. 

The way Liam acted made the blonde even more protective of him and made him fuss over him even more. On some level he knew the excessive need to make sure Liam was okay, was his own way of apologizing for something he felt he caused. He couldn't let this man slip through his fingers again and he couldn't let him get hurt like this again.

When Liam closed his eyes and seemed to be resting comfortably, the prince turned to face Zayn, whom was staring at the two of them with understanding in his eyes. “This is the man you chose over me?”, Zayn teased, a smile playing on his lips. 

“There wasn't much competition”, Niall replied somewhat truthfully, turning back to Liam and swiping his hair away from his forehead. “I can't explain it properly, but when I'm with him...it's like magic”

“From what I've read, I'm pretty sure that's called love”

“One day you'll find love”, Niall replied, with hopefulness in his voice, “and it'll be the best thing that's ever happened to you”. 

It was silent for a moment before Zayn declared that he was going to get the royal physician to have a look at Liam, which Niall was thankful for the time to be alone with his crush. 

Wanting to do something useful with his time, he went to the basin and wet a towel to clean the cut that ran from his temple to his cheek. The man barely twitched as the prince cleaned out the wound, but Niall suspected he had gone through quite an ordeal and needed time to rest. 

The doctor had come two hours ago and left after a half hour of evaluating Liam. The man was going to be okay and Niall swore he breathed a sigh of relief after that news. Now, Liam was sitting on the couch, looking dazed but awake and he had managed to converse with both Zayn and Niall before getting tired. It seemed that he had bruised ribs from the guards who had gone behind the king's back and had harmed him. The prince made a silent vow to himself that whether or not he became king, he would make sure the guards knew the proper meaning of 'guard'. 

There was still no news from his father or the captain nor from Harry and Louis, which made the prince feel sick to his stomach. There was only so much worrying he could do before he went crazy from his absurd mind that kept thinking about all the possibilities that could happen, especially with Harry and Louis. He just hoped the two weren't hurt because he wouldn't be able to stand it if there was so much as a mark on them. One person he cared about had already been injured today and he most definitely didn't want anyone else he cared about getting hurt. 

It was well into the night and both Liam and Zayn were sleeping. Liam was sleeping comfortably on the big couch and looked just as beautiful as he had last night and Zayn was sleeping in the armchair, though he looked to be rather uncomfortable. Just as Niall was about to wake up the man and suggest he sleep in his own bed seeing as he would not be sleeping tonight, his door opened and Harry and Louis walked in. Both of them looked fatigued but they were unharmed. 

Niall breathed a sigh of relief. 

“What happened to you two?”, he whispered, not wanting to wake up the others. 

“You don't need to know the details”, Harry replied, “Just know that there are two scumbags who are now locked away”. 

Both Louis and Harry looked satisfied with themselves and Niall couldn't be the one to bring them down a notch or two, so instead he didn't inquire or press them any further. He was just happy that the kingdom was in good hands. 

/ 

The next day saw the prince waking with the sun; surprisingly, he was full of nervous energy which propelled him to want to get up earlier and face the day with enthusiasm that he hadn't felt in a long time. He had so many energy that it he swore he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he dressed and prepared for the day. 

The others were awake and changed as Niall walked out of his room, dressed in his cotton brown pants and white tunic, and they looked more serious than they ever had before. They were all standing in his chambers with a serious expression upon their faces and their knives and swords at their side, even Liam had a sword at his side and was wearing.....Zayn's spare clothes?

At Niall's incredulous expression Zayn explained, “your father requested to see all of us and he requested that we, even Liam, wear appropriate attire for the meeting”. 

The prince simply nodded, “Let's go then, it wouldn't do well to keep the king waiting”. 

As Niall and the others walked through the halls to the king's throne room, he had a brief thought about what it would be like to be king and have these people who would go up against the king for him as his council. He trusted them with his life and so he thought that it would be befitting to have them on his side, considering they were assets to the kingdom. 

His father looked tense as he sat upon the throne, he looked as if he aged ten years in the past twenty-four hours. The captain was standing beside him and there were two other guards at the door, their faces all impassive as they stared at the group of men walking in. 

“Don't bow down for me”, the king said as they all started to, “in this meeting we are all equals and equals don't bow down to one another.” The man took a deep breath before continuing, “it has been brought to my attention that my son wishes to take the throne without marriage and I agree to this.

I also to agree to abdicate the throne to you. Though it pains me to do so, the Captain and I both agree that the kingdom would benefit from having a new king. Son, you have my blessing to become the next king and to rule this kingdom as you see fit. I also will drop the charges against Liam as the captain believes he is a great asset to the kingdom.” His father took a deep breath, “the ceremony will take place next week on Tuesday and I will organize the ceremony”. With that his father walked out, followed by the captain, who stopped to give a curt nod to Niall and the others. 

The prince could have sworn he saw pride in the captain's eyes, but he kept that bit of information to himself. 

/ 

Niall was sitting on his bed, staring out of the window with a gleam of happiness in his blue eyes. It had been a long and trivial two days, but the outcome had been good for everyone involved as well as the kingdom, even his father. 

The soon to be king knew his father was upset with the way he handled the situation, but Niall also knew he would be okay and come to terms with the outcome, especially if he saw how well Niall did.  
Niall would be sure to ask his father for forgiveness when the time came, but for now he had a kingdom to rule, relationships to build and a council to form, the latter he had a pretty good idea about who to include on there. 

The kingdom was buzzing once they heard the news of what was happening in a weeks time and as Niall walked the streets hand in hand with Liam, people would often come up to him to express their gratitude to him and plead for him to help their financial struggles. The prince would just smile and let them know he would do everything in his power to aid those who needed it. o

Whenever he soothed the people, he could feel his partner watching him with an apprehensive expression on his face and every-time he caught Liam staring, he would smile and kiss him lightly on the lips, knowing full well what an amazing partner Liam would make when they decided to get married. Their marriage could take place years from that moment, but both of them knew their fates were now entwined and they didn't want it any other way. 

/ 

A day after the coronation found Niall roaming the halls of the palace, thinking to himself as he wondered what kind of king he would become, when he bumped into Zayn. 

“Your majesty”, the man mocked and the new king couldn't help but smirk at the title. 

“Hello Zayn, what can I do for you?”

“Nothing I couldn't do myself”, Zayn replied casually, “I was just going for a brief walk on my hour break. It seems that you're king for a day and you're already installing change within the kingdom, which makes everything harder for us guards'”. 

The king was going to apologize but at the proud look on Zayn's face he stopped himself, “Someone had to do it”, was what he said instead, feeling happiness flow throughout his veins and giving him a positive outlook on life. A sudden thought occurred to him, “Am I overworking everyone? Do I need to slow down?” 

“No, you're doing fine”, Zayn assured, “I was just joking around. You're doing a good thing for the kingdom right now, you're building up our defenses and helping everyone who needs it. Personally, I think you're the best king we've had and it's only been a day”. 

Niall couldn't help the blush of embarrassment, “Thank you, that means a lot to me. Although I should get going, I have a meeting with the council”, he pulled a face of discontent before continuing, “Do you think you can meet me in the throne room tomorrow? I have something I would like to discuss with you and a few others”. 

The guard looked taken aback but agreed nonetheless, which Niall was happy about. This news that he wanted to share with them was extremely important and would possibly change their lives and importance within the kingdom. 

Night time came not a moment to soon for the young king and he found himself eagerly waiting to go back to his chambers in hopes of seeing Liam for the night. He secretly crossed his fingers as he thought about how busy Liam had been this week. It was his second day of teaching at the academy and already the hours were long and the man already offered extra fighting sessions to student's who were immensely involved and dedicated. The young king was thrilled that his partner enjoyed what he was doing so early on, but he still couldn't help but feel a little upset when he thought about how busy the two would be, which would effect the amount of time they spent together. 

However, all negative feelings he had dissapeared as soon as he saw Liam lounging on his couch, reading the history of the kingdom. Niall couldn't help but smile at the dedication the man showed in being his future husband. 

“Hey”, he murmured, making himself comfortable beside his partner. “I didn't think you would be back this early, I hear that many of your students are enthralled by your fighting skills and wish to spend extra time learning”.

“They think I'm good”, Liam responded, being far too modest with himself. 

“You are good and I would know that because I've seen you fight before”. 

Liam blushed and smiled brightly, making him look a young kid rather than a man. “Have I ever told you how much I adore you?” 

Niall sat next to him on the couch and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, which was something that they did quite often. “You have, every night and I hope you know how much you mean to me”. 

/ 

Liam was teaching at the academy when Niall requested to see Harry, Louis and Liam in the king's throne room, all three of them looking confused. 

“How is everyone?”, Niall asked as he sat down at the table, indicating that the others do the same, “I know this is random but as I'm the new king.....obviously and um....

“Niall”, Harry said in that tone he used to calm him down, “It's okay, just say what you need to”

“.....Okay, I need new people on the council. The people on the council seem to be holding a grudge against me and it's not good for the kingdom to have hostility within the council so, um, will you guys be on the council?”

“Have you spoken about this to the Captain?”, Louis asked, “If so, what does he think about it?”

“He seems to think it's a good idea, so what do you guys think?” 

It was Zayn who spoke this time, “I don't know about the other two but I would be honoured”.

Louis and Harry both nodded their heads in earnest to indicate that they were also thrilled at the idea. 

Niall couldn't help but feel relieved as he thought about how everything in his life was finally going into place. His life, which once so hectic and so unfulfilling was now so fulfilling. He used to be so unhappy with the way things were and used to be so unhappy with his life that he hated to do anything, but now as he finally took control of his own life, he couldn't be happier. As king, he knew there would be tough times ahead and he knew he would definitely be tried, but as he stared at the faces of his friends and council members and thought about the man he loved, he knew he would be okay. 

He was just thankful he had the support of those he loved and cared for.

**Author's Note:**

> If you've read this, then thank you. This was a strange thing for me to write because I normally write Ziall, but it was wonderful to go out of my comfort zone and write some Niam. 
> 
> If you have any constructive criticism, please let me know, just don't send me hate...please. Aha. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Xx


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